The Dominican Republic is reportedly interested in having Albert Pujols play for the national team in Olympic baseball qualifiers this month, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
Following his release from the Angels, Pujols is eligible to take part in the qualifiers since he is currently not on a 40-man MLB roster.
The Americas Qualifying Event takes place in Florida starting May 31. The Dominican Republic will face Puerto Rico, the United States and Nicaragua in the group stage, where the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.
The winner of the tournament will qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The runner-up and third-place finishers will compete in the Final Qualifying Tournament in Taiwan in June.
Pujols, a two-time World Series winner, has recorded 3,253 hits in his 21-year career and is fifth all-time with 667 home runs. The 41-year-old appeared in 24 games for the Angels this season, hitting .198 with five home runs and 12 RBIs.
Pujols’ release from the Angels on Thursday caused shockwaves around the league with former Dominican stars Pedro Martínez and David Ortiz lashing out at the Angels for their treatment of the 10-time All-Star.
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